Japan's Low Marriage Rate Concerns Minister

Masako Mori Links Population Decline to People Not Walking Down Aisle

By

Yoko Sudo

Updated July 18, 2014 4:41 am ET

TOKYO—Japan's population is declining mainly because there are fewer marriages and people are tying the knot later in life, the minister in charge of addressing the problem said, adding the government plans to do more to encourage men and women to meet.

Masako Mori told The Wall Street Journal in a recent interview that it was a mistake to assume women will have fewer children if they continue with their careers after giving birth. It is still commonplace in Japan for women to quit their full-time jobs when they have children...